Fighting in the Soudan.

Golden Bay Argus, Volume VII, Issue 69, 26 September 1901, Page 3

Fighting in the Soudan.

The Friendly Natives. o . ' I must tell you,' said the Major, after narrating the hardships of several long and punishing marches, ' that as we neared the point where the Sirdar and his advanced troops, under Hunter, were expecting to find touch with the enemy, the eagerness and vigilance of the men increased to such a pitch that pretty well every native they caught sight of was transformed in their eyes into one of the bloodthirsty Dervishers, of whose atrocities we had heard such terrible tales. In fact, they had Dervishers on the brain. One night, just before we were to resume our'forward movement, the mules of the battery began kicking up one of their bobberies, and a young rebellious animal, getting loose, made a clean bolt of it. I was obliged to send some men in pursuit, and, while waiting for them to return, up came the general officer commanding, and wanted to know what the Maxim detachment was stopping for. I explained. ' Never mind,' said the General, 'we can't all Avait for your mule. Go on without him.' But on calling on to my men I found that one of them was nowhere to be found. We searched high and low for him, when up came the General again, this time in a state such as generals sometimes get into, 'What is the Maxim battery blocking the road for ?' I explained that I had lost a man this time. ' Never mind the man ; get on. We'll send back word about him.' So, having lost both man and a mule, we started, but we had not gone far before the nude, who must have had an eye on our movements the whole time, and had no intention of being left, came scampering after us, but the man didn't turn up for some days later. What had happened to him apparently was this. While hunting the mule he had fallen into a khor or ravine and was stunned. On coming to his senses he discovered to his horror that the force had moved for\v ,, 'd, and that he was ajone in the desert. , course, Dervishes anclthe probability of his getting a shovel-headed spear into his vitals were his first thoughts. So keeping very low, and his eyes wide open in all directions, he very sensibly made for the river about half a mile away. Here, however, his wits seemed to have failed him, for, instead of going up stream heturned down the river, and in the hope of overtaking his comrades made in the direction of Cairo ! ' For the next day or two there is no doubt that the want of food and shelter, added to the lively state of his apprehensions, gave him an uncommonly bad time of it. Daring this period he was engaged in a constant game of hide and seek with the friendly natives, who, aware of thesituation,and anxious to do their very best to assist the lost one, chevied him all over the place. In the eyes of the apprehensive Tommy they were truculent savages thirsting for his blood, and for a time he managed to elude the efforts of his would-be friends. But at length nature gave way under the strain, and in despair he took to the river, where he was standing at bay, up to his neck in water, and quite exhausted, but resolved to sell his life as dearly as possible. Here the natives gathered round him, making all sorts of offers of food and assistance, and vainly endeavouring to explain the situation. So convinced was. he that a horrible death awaited him that the placid and amiable demeanour of the villagers seemed only a piece of diabolical cunning employed for the attainment of their ends.'